I Can't Go On Without You
by Bonkers4Reid
Summary: OneShot. Alternate version of what happened in the room where Jack was handcuffed. My first Titanic fic! Rated T for language.


_Hello FanFiction world! This is my first Titanic fic, and my first fic outside of the Criminal Minds realm. _

_I haven't read too many Titanic fics, but a popular topic seems to be stories where Jack lives. Here's something, um, a little different! I hope I'm not copying anyone else's ideas, and if you think anything sounds similar to a fic you've written or read, please let me know! If this is the case, it is completely unintentional._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything here besides my sappy imagination. The words in italicized print are lines from the movie._

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><p>Jack stands watching Rose's practice swings in disbelief. He knows that there is no way that she'd ever hit her target: the chain on the handcuffs that confines him in this room.<p>

"_Okay, that's enough practice. Come on, Rose, you can do it!" _He looks in her eyes._ "Listen, just hit it really hard and really fast."_

Rose starts to swing, but stops short at the sound of Jack's voice.

"_Wait! Open your hands up a little more."_

"_Like that?" _she asks, breathing heavilly.

"_Right. Listen Rose, I trust you." _Jack is only saying this to reassure her, but he doesn't believe his own words._ "GO!" _

They both close their eyes as Rose swings the axe.

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><p>They both scream, Jack's of pain, Rose's of fear.<p>

As the blood begins to pour out of Jack's hand, he tries to regain his composure. To keep the pain out of his voice so as not to scare Rose, who is staring at the wound and looking like she may faint.

"It's okay. I'm alright, Rose." He closes his eyes and leans his forehead on the pipe.

"No, you're not!" she's crying now.

Jack opens his eyes and looks into hers. "You're right, I'm not." He sighs, "Rose, please put down that axe." He knows she won't be able to bring herself to try again, and frankly he doesn't want her to.

Rose drops the axe in the waist-high water. Her hands are shaking and she's afraid she might get sick.

"Come here" Jack says softly.

Rose walks over to him slowly, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder.

Jack puts his cheek on hers and whispers into her ear, "I love you, Rose."

Rose feels their tears mingling on her cheek.

"I love you too." she whispers.

The water is so cold. And it's getting higher. Jack knows he's never getting out now, that he'll go down with the sinking ship. But he doesn't want this for Rose.

"Get back up to the lifeboats, darling. There's no hope left for me."

"No, Jack, I can't leave you! You jump, I jump, remember?"

"Please, Rose. I'm begging you. Don't throw your life away for me. Get out of here." His voice drops to a whisper again, "Go!"

"I can't." she swallows hard, "What if you were in my place, huh? Could you leave me to die alone? To save yourself?"

Jack knows his answer would be no, but saying so won't help him in this argument.

"I can't go on without you, Jack. I love you. I'm not leaving."

It's settled then.

"Let go for a second." Rose releases him. Jack lifts his elbow, inviting her to duck under his arm so they can be closer.

The water is now at chest level. "You were right, Jack. It does feel like being stabbed by a thousand knives."

Jack laughs, "It's no wonder I can't change your mind. I'd almost forgotten how we met."

"Well, then I was ready to kill myself to avoid marrying Cal. Now, I'm preparing to die here with you because I'll never be able to marry you."

Jack closes his eyes and whispers "So you want to get married? We can do that right here, right now."

He moves his hands up the pipe, so his arms are around Rose's shoulders. But this movement pulls on his axe-wound. Jack grits his teeth and inhales sharply.

Rose sees the pain he's in, "Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. So, so sorry."

"It's not your fault. This saltwater stings like a bitch though."

She kisses him tenderly. "Back to the wedding, dear?"

"Yes. Um… I take you Rose De Witt Bukater…" He is cut off by his bride.

"Rose Dawson" she smiles.

"Not yet."

"Yes. Already. Now. Forever."

Jack laughs, "I take you, Rose Dawson, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or for worse. For richer or for poorer. In sickness or in health. To love and to cherish, 'till death do us part."

The shivering has ceased. Her body is numb now as Rose says her vows, "I take you, Jack Dawson, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or for worse. For richer or for poorer. In sickness or in health. To love and to cherish, 'till death do us part."

The lovers kiss, long and passionately, knowing this will be their last.

"And I hope death comes quickly." says Jack as he watches his beautiful wife's red, curly hair floating around her in the chilly water.

The couple remains embraced as the water keeps coming higher and higher. Now they are floating with their heads touching the ceiling.

Jack's eyes are closed as the water is encircling his face. His last conscious thought is: 'I hope she's gone now, not suffering this anymore.'

Rose opens her eyes one last time to look upon her husband's face and thinks, "I have no regrets as I'm heading off to the stars."

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><p>"<strong>Intimacy is what makes a marriage, not a ceremony, not a piece of paper from the state." – Kathleen Norris<strong>

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><p><em>I loved those lines "You jump, I jump, right?You jump, I jump, remember?" and "Where to, miss?" "To the stars!" so I worked them into my dialogue here._

_Plus, if the movie had ended this way, it wouldn't be SOOOO long! lol_

_I was inspired by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games) and the way she uses sentence fragments so creatively._

_Please review! :)_


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